Pearls of Power
by sofia313
Summary: As Kylo Ren became the Supreme Leader, he claimed everything that had used to belong to Snoke. Including his most prized possession.
1. Prologue

Pearl sat in the middle of the floor, her eyes closed, concentrating only on her breathing. There was nothing else, no time or place. Everything was alright, she was calm and relaxed. No one would bother her for a while, not before dinnertime. The door would be unlocked and the maid would bring her a tray while two guards would wait in the hallway. They weren't allowed to enter her living quarters, especially when Snoke was away.

She was glad about that; she didn't have to wear her uncomfortable white and gold robe and the white veil that hid her face. That was "the uniform" Snoke wanted her to wear whenever she left her quarters or was visited by someone else than him or the maid. Right now she was enjoying the comfort of a light silk gown. It felt very pleasant against her skin, like she wouldn't have had clothes at all.

She took a deep breath, falling deeper and deeper into relaxation. Everything was alright. Everything was… Then suddenly she felt it. Her eyes flew open and she tried desperately to gasp for air. No… Her legs were shaking violently, but somehow she managed to stand up. That was a mistake; she collapsed on the floor almost immediately. Her heart was beating like a drum, she couldn't breathe.

_Calm down._

She pressed her eyes shut and rocked herself calmingly.

_Breathe._

The pain brought tears to her eyes, she was about to pass out. Unfortunately that didn't happen, not even when her body began to judder. She was going to die. No. She had been through this before, but it never got any easier. Slowly she managed to crawl towards her bed.

"My lady!" the maid's voice suddenly cried out.

No, no, not now… The terrified maid knelt beside her after quickly placing the tray on the table.

"Sha-shall I get help, my lady?" the maid stuttered, clearly afraid of being blamed for this.

"No," Pearl murmured weakly. "Help me… I need to…lie down."

The maid obeyed immediately, she supported Pearl as gently as she was able. The soft mattress felt nice, Pearl gritted her teeth in order to regain control. Snoke was dead. Someone had killed him. This was bad. What would happen to her now?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

Kylo Ren marched across the long corridor while all the soldiers saluted him.

"Long live the Supreme Leader!"

He had just arrived at one of Snoke's bases and he most certainly wasn't in a good mood. Like a fool, he had allowed himself to be outsmarted by his dear uncle. He hadn't killed Rey when he has had the chance. He had failed to crush the rebellion for good. He had simply failed in every possible way. Well, almost every possible way. He had gotten rid of Snoke.

He no longer took orders from anyone; he was the one giving them. The most powerful man in the galaxy. This should have been the most glorious moment of his life. The moment he had dreamt of. Without his failure, it would have been. Not that it mattered; the resistance was almost destroyed already. There were only a handful of rebels left; they posed no threat to him.

Kylo stopped in front of General Malkin, the commander of the base. He was few years older than Kylo, a medium height blonde-haired man who had pale blue eyes and a long scar on his stoic face. Like Hux, he was very serious.

"Welcome, Supreme Leader," he stated and bowed.

Kylo observed him carelessly from behind his mask. It made him more intimidating and that was exactly the impression he wanted to give. He wanted to make it clear to everyone who had the power now.

"Your report was very thorough, General," Kylo stated.

He had wanted to know everything about the assets in this base since Snoke had spent a lot of time here. According to General's report, this was an ordinary military base, nothing had stood out. Yet Kylo had wanted to make sure of that himself. This place belonged to him now after all, just like everything else that had used to belong to Snoke.

"Thank you, sir."

Kylo had been in this base once before, but that had been few years ago. Now he wanted a tour and the General was immediately ready to arrange that. He acted as Kylo's guide personally, calmly explaining everything Kylo wanted to know about the base. Apparently there really wasn't anything meaningful here. Strange, Kylo's instincts weren't usually wrong. Lastly the General guided Kylo to Snoke's living quarters.

"What is in there?" Kylo asked as he noticed two soldiers standing in front of a door next to Snoke's quarters.

For the first time the General hesitated for a very brief moment before replying.

"That is the quarters of the former Supreme Leader's…companion."

For a moment Kylo was sure that he had misheard the General.

"Companion?" Kylo repeated, his voice modulator hiding his disbelief.

"Yes, sir."

"And who is this companion?"

"I am afraid I don't know her name, sir," the General replied. His face remained stoic, but Kylo sensed his discomfort. "The former Supreme Leader didn't share that information."

"Hmm. Why wasn't she mentioned in your report?"

"You wanted to know about the assets of this base, sir," the General replied, controlling himself perfectly again. "I didn't think…"

"Why are these soldiers here?" Kylo cut in.

"It was the former Supreme Leader's order. I wanted to wait for your orders before…"

"Is she a prisoner?"

Again the General hesitated.

"The former Supreme Leader ordered two guards behind her door at all times. No one was allowed to go in or out without his approval. I'm afraid that's all I know."

Kylo processed this new information quickly, although he still couldn't believe it. A companion? A mistress? Or perhaps a whore? The thought was so amusing that Kylo almost chuckled. It made sense though that Snoke would have had to imprison this female in order to keep her in his bed. Kylo had to admit that he was somewhat curious to see her. Determinedly he marched to the door. The soldiers saluted him before he ordered them to open the door.

"Yes, sir," the other one said and quickly dialed the input code on the door pad. The door whooshed open, revealing a comfortable living quarters. This most certainly wasn't a prison cell. Kylo eyed the room briefly before he spotted the female. She was standing next to the bed, wearing a long robe and a veil.

The first thing he sensed was her fear. Smart girl. He closed the door with the wave of his hand, keeping his eyes on her the whole time. He had seen her before. With Snoke. She had never spoken a word and he hadn't paid much attention to her. He had assumed that she was some kind of a servant.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes," she replied quietly.

"Who am I?"

"Kylo Ren."

"Wrong. I am the new Supreme Leader."

She didn't reply to that, but he noticed her tensing.

"And who might you be?" he inquired.

"I'm nobody," she murmured.

He approached her like a predator stalking it's prey and crossed his arms. She stood her ground, although it wasn't difficult to tell that she was scared.

"Your name?" he demanded.

"Pearl," she replied after a brief moment of silence.

He stepped in front of her, making sure that she was intimidated by his much bigger frame. She was more than a head shorter than him, small and petite.

"Remove your veil," he ordered, wanting to see her face. Clearly she was human, which made it even more difficult to imagine her warming Snoke's bed.

"Now," he added when she didn't obey right away.

"I'm not supposed to…" she murmured.

"Says who?" he asked mockingly. "Your master? That would be me and I advice you not to test my patience."

That was exactly what she did, still refusing to obey him. Impatiently he grabbed the hem of her veil and took it off. He was somewhat surprised to see the face of a young woman. Her skin was pale, her eyes large and dark and her white hair was up in a simple coiffure. She most certainly wasn't unpleasant to look at. He touched her chin with his gloved hand and tilted her head back in order to have a better view. She flinched at his touch and avoided looking at him.

"So," he stated. "This is what Snoke liked. I can see why."

Her breathing was fast, he could sense her discomfort. She was trapped and she knew it.

"No need to worry," he snorted and took a step back. "I have no use for Snoke's trash."

She looked at him cautiously, her breathing was still fast.

"I don't wish to cause you any inconvenience, my lord," she said quietly. "I'll leave right away and you'll never have to see me again."

Kylo's mask hid his amusement.

"You really think I would simply let you leave?"

"As you said, you have no use for me."

"Not in my bed, no." He paused and crossed his arms. "However, I believe you and I have a lot to talk about."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

Kylo Ren.

The new Supreme Leader.

Of course Pearl should have realized that he was the obvious choice, since he had been Snoke's apprentice. The commander of the Knights of Ren. Snoke's greatest achievement. Yes, she should have realized that, but her recovery had lasted too long for her being able to think clearly. No one had told her anything, she had been locked in her quarters since Snoke's death.

She hadn't even seen her regular maid after that day; a droid had delivered her meals without saying a word to her. For so many times she had tried her hardest to concentrate, trying to see something, anything, but she had failed. Snoke had made sure that no one else would be able to use her. She took a deep breath, clearing her mind.

Right now she needed to recall everything she knew about Kylo Ren. He was extremely volatile, short-tempered and violent. Nothing like Snoke. Of course he had been violent as well, but in a different way. His cruelty had been downright sadistic and he had often smiled while torturing someone. His smile had been much more terrifying than his anger.

Yet Pearl would have chosen him over Kylo Ren. At least with Snoke, she had known what to expect. With Kylo Ren.. She had no idea. Unfortunately she would find that out soon enough. Before he had left her quarters, he had informed her that someone would fetch her shortly. Apparently he wanted to talk with her. Interrogate her was probably more accurate.

She suspected that he had gone to prepare an interrogation room. What could she do? Despite Snoke's teachings, she wouldn't be able to keep Kylo Ren out of her mind forever, not if he would decide to force his way in. Maybe he wouldn't. If she had understood correctly, he thought that she was Snoke's lover. As disgusting as the whole thought was, it might actually save her.

If he would think that she was nothing more than Snoke's toy, there was a slight chance he might let her leave. Or then he would kill her. That was the problem with someone like Kylo Ren, his actions were very unpredictable. What she knew for sure was that she couldn't aggravate him, not when he had barely any self-control.

Snoke had thought that his aggressive nature was a good thing, but he had still tried to teach his apprentice a little more control. As far as Pearl knew, Snoke hadn't been very successful with that particular lesson. She decided that she needed to stay calm and see what he wanted from her.

Determinedly she entered her lavatory and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her coiffure was modest and she had barely any make-up on. Should she try to make herself look more presentable? No. She also considered changing her clothes, but decided against it. Her robe would do just fine. She straightened her back and walked out as she heard the door opening. A stormtrooper was standing in the doorway, looking at her. She couldn't deny that she missed her veil, she felt naked without it.

"The Supreme Leader requests your presence," the soldier stated.

Pearl could tell by his voice that he was a young man, she felt him staring at her from behind his helmet. He was curious; no one except Snoke and the maid had ever seen her without her veil. She didn't say a word; she simply walked over to the door and stepped into the corridor. Another stormtrooper was standing there, he ordered her to follow him. Instead of leading her to the interrogation rooms, he only took few steps and stopped in front of the door that led to Snoke's quarters. She was surprised, but she managed to hide that quickly as the door opened.

"Get in," the stormtrooper ordered.

She obeyed and stayed in front of the closing door. Snoke's quarters looked almost the same than before, except that she didn't sense his presence here anymore. Instead she sensed the presence of someone more sinister. At least from her point of view anyway. Kylo Ren was standing in front of the large window with his back turned to the door.

He wasn't wearing his helmet or armor anymore, only a pair of black pants and a black shirt. Pearl had seen him without his mask before; she had been with Snoke couple of times as he had watched his apprentice training. One time she had seen Kylo Ren brutally slaughtering his opponent who had begged for mercy. Snoke had been very pleased by that, he had laughed and clapped his hands.

Pearl had tried to look away, although she had seen worse. Violence and cruelty had always been a part of her life. It had made her cold. She didn't care about anyone except herself, she couldn't. If she would have, she might have as well killed that person herself. That was the lesson Snoke had taught her many years ago. Right now her only goal was to find a way to survive. She didn't move or make a sound, waiting for Kylo Ren to speak first. Finally he did.

"I must say that I do like the view," he stated after a long silence.

She wasn't really surprised; Snoke had enjoyed it as well. This whole damn planet was nothing more than black stone, volcanoes and red lava. The sky was covered with black clouds and there were often thunderstorms. The only valuable thing here was the iron ore; the planet was full of it. Pearl didn't say anything as Kylo Ren finally turned to face her.

"Have you lived here for long?" he asked.

His tone of voice was neither friendly nor threatening and she couldn't read anything from his dark eyes.

"Not very long, my lord," she replied cautiously.

"Where did you live before?"

"I usually went where the former Supreme Leader went."

He observed her for a moment before asking his next question.

"Are you a prostitute?"

She wasn't insulted by his question, it made no difference to her what he or anyone else thought of her.

"No, my lord."

He frowned.

"A companion?"

"Something like that," she replied.

As far as she knew, that meant a high class prostitute that men could purchase for as long as they liked. They were trained to meet all kinds of needs, not just sexual ones. They were usually sophisticated and well educated women who were familiar with manners and etiquette. Pearl wasn't, but hopefully Kylo Ren wouldn't realize that. What she saw clearly was the disgust in his eyes.

"How long have you been with Snoke?" he asked.

"Few years," she answered truthfully.

"Hmm. Have you enjoyed it?"

Again she wasn't even slightly insulted by his mocking tone. Instead she smiled.

"My enjoyment makes no difference, my lord. That is not why I am here."

He observed her for a moment, his disgust still clear in his eyes.

"Did he speak to you? Snoke?"

"Yes, sometimes."

His eyes narrowed as he approached her.

"What did you two talk about?"

"Nothing important, my lord," she replied as calmly as she could. "Mostly everyday things, such as dinner or the clothes he wanted me to wear."

He was standing in front of her now, his eyes burning holes on her.

"Somehow I doubt that," he stated with a sinister voice and grabbed her chin. "Let's see what you are trying to hide from me."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

A wall. A thick, impermeable wall. Kylo crashed against it as he tried to penetrate the girl's mind. He hadn't expected any kind of resistance and he hadn't used nearly his full force. How was it possible that this little bed warmer was resisting him? It shouldn't be possible. People who had very strong will could maybe slow him down, but not even they could stop him like this.

An experienced Force user could maybe do this, but she wasn't one, he was sure of it. He would have sensed it. Roughly he pressed his hands against her cheeks and tried again, this time more forcefully. He still couldn't penetrate the wall. She yelped in pain as he added even more force.

"Stop resisting me," he snarled. "Or I will show you true pain:"

She was shaking, but she refused to obey him. That made him furious.

"As you wish," he hummed and unleashed all his power.

She screamed as he pounded the wall with full force.

"Stop!" she cried out. "Please stop!"

"Let me in!" he demanded.

"I-I can't," she sobbed. "Please stop, I'll tell you anything!"

He could have continued forcing his way in, but some instinct told him to stop. The girl collapsed on the floor and curled up into a sobbing ball as soon as he let her go. Kylo crossed his arms and observed her carelessly.

"How did you do that?" he asked demandingly.

She was still sobbing, but it seemed that she was trying to pull herself together.

"Answer me, girl."

She swallowed and wrapped her arms tighter around her upper body.

"Snoke," she murmured so quietly that he could barely hear her. "He… He taught me."

"How? I can't sense the Force in you."

"It's not," she murmured.

"Then how?" he demanded.

She shivered and tried to get up, but couldn't. Kylo huffed impatiently and scooped her small frame up. She didn't resist as he carried her across the room.

"Thank you, my lord," she sighed tiredly as he placed her on the sofa.

"Answer my question before I'll lose my patience with you," he snapped.

She took a deep breath and dried her eyes.

"I… I will tell you everything you want to know, but I have a small request first."

Kylo's eyes narrowed.

"You think you're in any position to make requests?"

She shook her head.

"No, my lord, but I would still like to make one." She paused and finally looked at him. "I would like to keep what I have now. My own quarters, a small wardrobe and enough food to eat."

Kylo stared at the girl disbelievingly. Apparently she wasn't very smart.

"What makes you think I would give you any of those things?" he snorted.

She looked calm now as she gestured him to take a seat.

"Please."

His patience was running out, but he couldn't deny that he was somewhat curious. There was something about this girl, something worth his attention.

"Careful, little one," he warned as he sat down. "Don't waste my time."

She didn't reply, she simply held out her hand.

"Please."

He frowned, but he took her hand.

"I can't move the wall by myself," she explained calmly. "I will need your help, my lord."

"What?"

"Snoke built this wall," she continued. "He wanted to make sure that no one else would be able to use me."

"Use you how?"Kylo asked immediately.

"He called me a vessel," she replied. "I can't use the Force myself, but I can channel it. All aspects of it."

Kylo stared at her, processing what she had just told him. He had never heard of someone like her.

"What do you mean all aspects of it?"

"Force visions for example. Snoke didn't have the ability to see them, but through me he could."

"Hmm." Kylo paused and leaned towards her, eyes locked in hers. "If you are telling the truth, why did Snoke leave you here?"

"He didn't take me everywhere with him," the girl replied. "He was very sure about his powers."

She was certainly right about that. Snoke had no doubt thought that he was invincible.

"How can I move the wall?" Kylo asked.

The girl hesitated for a moment before replying.

"I believe we can do that together, if we both concentrate. I would like to ask you not to be too forceful, my lord."

"Why not?"

Of course he saw that he had caused her a lot of pain, but he was curious to hear her answer. She straightened her back and looked at him in the eyes.

"I can be useful to you, but not if you break me."

She was undeniably amusing.

"I see," he hummed. "Don't worry, little one, I have no intention to cause my property any permanent damage."

Her body tensed slightly, but she kept her face free from emotion as she nodded.

"Thank you, my lord."

"Let's get to the point, shall we. The wall?"

She glanced at his gloved hand that was still in hers.

"I think you need to remove your gloves, my lord. Then we can start by meditating together."

Kylo snorted impatiently and removed his gloves. The girl took both of his hands between hers and closed her eyes. He followed her example, concentrating on the task at hand. The wall was just as impermeable as before, but this time he knew what he was dealing with. The girl didn't resist as he slowly but surely began to make his way through the wall. He could tell that he was causing her pain, but she didn't fight him. Finally the wall cracked. She had told him the truth. He gasped as his eyes flew open. The girl was panting, she looked exhausted.

"You did well, little one," he stated and touched her cheek. "It was smart to tell me and I promise, I will be a good master to you."

She didn't look at him, but she pressed her lips together.

"Thank you, my lord."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

"So, what do you think about our new Supreme Leader?" General Hux asked before taking a sip out of his glass.

"He is very skilled and powerful," General Malkin replied calmly. "I believe he will be an excellent Supreme Leader."

Hux snorted and emptied his glass. Malkin was a smart man, so of course he wouldn't say anything negative about Ren. Hux knew better though. Ren was a terrible leader, as he had already demonstrated. Not to mention Hux couldn't stand the idea of bowing down in front of the arrogant brat. Unfortunately the other commanders had given Ren their loyalty. The cowards feared him. Hux didn't. Yet he was smart enough for not to say his thoughts out loud.

"What did the Supreme Leader think about the base?" Hux asked after a moment of silence.

"I believe he was pleased," Malkin replied.

How nice. This was the third base Ren had wanted to inspect himself, although Hux had tried to tell him not to bother. The new Supreme Leader would have had much more important things to do. Of course Ren had ignored Hux and done exactly as he had pleased. What could the brat possibly hope to find here?

"Where is he now?" Hux huffed while pouring himself more sparkling wine. He and Malkin were sitting in a quite comfortable lounge that was meant for senior officers. Ren hadn't asked Hux to join him, but he most certainly wasn't going to wait on the star cruiser like some kind of a lapdog.

"The Supreme Leader is interrogating a prisoner;" Malkin stated.

Hux frowned.

"What prisoner?"

Malkin cleared his throat before replying.

"The former Supreme Leader's companion."

Hux was just about to ask what companion Malkin was talking about when he suddenly realized the obvious answer. Pearl. She was here. No… Ren was an animal; he could do anything to her. Hux couldn't let that happen.

"Where are they?" he asked while standing up.

"In the Supreme Leader's quarters, but he made it very clear that he doesn't wish to be disturbed…"

"I must speak to him at once," Hux cut in firmly.

"The Supreme Leader said…"

"I know what he said," Hux hissed. "No need to worry, I will take full responsibility:"

"Alright," Malkin replied. _"Your funeral,"_ the look in his eyes added.

Hux ignored that and marched towards the Supreme Leader's quarters.

"Can I help you, sir?" a stormtrooper asked as Hux approached the door. There were two soldiers standing in the corridor, but not in front of the Supreme Leader's door.

"I must speak to the Supreme Leader," Hux commanded.

"He's not there," the soldier replied and nodded towards the door behind him. "He's in here."

"Why?" Hux asked sharply.

The soldier didn't have time to reply when the door whooshed open and Ren walked out. He frowned as he noticed Hux.

"General. What brings you here?"

Hux forced himself to stay calm.

"Good evening, Supreme Leader: I heard you were interrogating a prisoner and I wanted to offer my assistance."

Ren was visibly amused.

"You think I require assistance with that, General?"

"My apologies, sir, I was thinking…"

"Everything is in order," Ren cut in.

"And the girl?" Hux asked before he was able to stop himself.

Ren stared at him piercingly.

"She is not your concern, General."

Hux cursed silently.

"I am aware of that, sir. My apologies."

Ren didn't reply, instead he turned to the stormtroopers.

"No one goes in."

"Yes, sir."

Hux glanced at the door, realizing that he had no choice but to accept his defeat: Right now there was nothing he could do for Pearl.

* * *

Pearl buried her face in the pillow, trying to muffle her sobs. Her tears were bitter and she hated herself for crying like a child. She had been nothing but an idiot for thinking that she could simply walk away. All her foolish hopes for freedom had been doomed from the start. Kylo Ren would have never let her go. If he wouldn't have decided to look into her mind, he would have simply killed her. Maybe that would have been the better option for her.

Property… She had been called that before, but she still hated it. An object. That was all she was. She couldn't even remember when she had still been a person. When someone had cared about her thoughts and feelings. No one did anymore. She was an object that had been passed on from one monster to another. If only she would have been stronger… No. She hadn't had a choice.

If Kylo Ren would have forced his way in, her mind would have no doubt been permanently damaged. He would have gotten in sooner or later; she had only spared herself from unnecessary suffering. Yes, that was what she kept telling herself. The real truth was much uglier. She was weak. A coward. A good little pet who wanted to keep her gilded cage. Better that than a prison cell. At least she didn't have to be cold or hungry.

Not that Snoke had actually cared about her wellbeing, but he had given her pretty much everything she had dared to ask. That was the thing, she had known better than to ask too much. Books, a canvas, paint, brushes, music, a garden, a place to swim, walks in the forest… She had tried to find things to do in every place she had stayed. Without those things, she would have no doubt lost her mind.

What if Kylo Ren would refuse all her requests? Well, she would deserve that for letting him break her so easily. Slowly she curled up into a fetal position and hugged herself tightly. Coward. A pathetic, weak coward. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander into her own sanctuary.

A beautiful meadow. Two little girls giggling and chasing each other. Picking flowers. Dancing. Their mother and father watching over them. Smiling at them. They were safe and loved. A perfect day. Pearl had lived it again countless of times. She had hidden it deep in her mind.

Snoke had no doubt seen it, but he had never said anything. She had feared that he would taint it or take it from her. Now she had to fear that again. She was forced to let someone into her mind, no matter how exposed that would make her feel. How violated. Not that it mattered. She had gotten used to it with Snoke, surely she would eventually get used to it with Kylo Ren as well.


End file.
